Thursday, June 25, 2009

starting a new project as things slow down. spent a few hours with some lovely ladies, iraqi refugees who are being sponsored through beauty school. they were super sweet, and i'm looking forward to spending more time with them. plus, i'm a sucker for photographing in salons - the light is usually really nice, and the walls always have a cool color. more to come soon.

Friday, June 19, 2009

new york city, a second time around. not so scary. it's crazy to think that when i'm home, most of my time is spent shooting, working, hustling, and it takes a trip to a place 3000 miles away to see some of my closest friends. in a way, it's kind of nice because i'm forced to focus on my photography most of the year, and when i do see people i try to make the most of it. on the other hand, it gets lonely when there isn't much of an option to walk a few blocks and see a familiar face.

but enough with all that. nyc was filled with adventure. on wednesday i took a trip with brett and marcus out to free day at the bronx zoo. so many strollers out! but it was definitely worth it. especially when a loose peacock decided it would be fun to follow us around as we tried to find an exit. it took a special liking to marcus.the rest of the trip involved a lot of running around. caught a free show featuring the john spencer blues explosion at the seaport, dinner and drinks with old friends, buzzing through pouring rain to meet editors (with my soaking sneakers in a plastic bag, tied around my wrist), and thursday night art openings. all-in-all a successful trip. maybe even a little too short. but there will always be new york, and i think this town is finally working itself into a small spot in my heart.now it's back to real life, whatever that is.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

virginia to new york city. a 2-hour drive, a 4.5-hour bus ride, and an hour of subways. rolled into town well after midnight, worried the old anxieties would catch up to me and relieved to realize i was better prepared to handle this city, this time around at least.so far, it's actually been a quiet pace for a city that never slows down. brooklyn to manhattan and back again every day, seeing old friends and tagging along on adventures with new ones. a lot of time alone on the subway. it's strange how different the commute is out here, compared to san francisco. back home, a BART ride was a somewhat shared experience for me, connected to fellow passengers, always without headphones. out here, even in a packed car, it still feels lonely. disconnected. but then again, that is my connection to this city so i suppose it translates into the daily commute.staying with friend and fellow photographer bryan derballa, who has been my nyc guide now for a second time. a strange place never seems so scary with solid friends around. scenes from a rooftop party, fader-style:met up with brett nelson aka sweet tooth nelson (see SXSW post) - he rocks some serious tunes that got me through two days of driving home from colorado - and some of his friends. got to see the mirror room. it only lasted a half-hour at most, but it was a night i couldn't have seen coming:and on to the next adventure.

for as much of a homebody as i am in day-to-day life, i keep finding myself living out of a suitcase and sleeping on couches. at least i've managed to see a new place on almost every trip.

this time the adventure took me to the look3: festival of the photograph in charlottesville, virginia. 3 days of galleries, pictures, old friends, and discussions about photography and the spinning decline of the industry. somehow, despite, it still managed to be positive and informative. you just can't beat early-summer rain, swimming in rivers, and some of the best photography in the world.